Aperture mask supported by spring lugs and spring clips

ABSTRACT

In a color TV bulb formed with a panel, a peripheral panel skirt integral therewith, a funnel portion adapted to mate therewith, a frame and aperture mask adapted to be mounted in said frame and secured in spaced relation with the panel; a supporting structure for the aperture mask and frame including peripherally located outwardly extending spring lugs and spring clips attached to the frame respectively operative for xy orientation and Q spacing of the aperture mask. The panel skirt is formed with a selected number of V grooves located each for receiving a corresponding one of the spring lugs and a ledge face spaced away from the inside surface of the panel to cooperatively engage with and support the spring clips. A forward surface of the funnel engages the spring clips to urge same against the ledge face such that the xy orientation and Q spacing of the aperture mask are fixed relative to the panel. .Iadd.

This application is a Reissue application of Ser. No. 954,489, filedOctober 25, 1978. .Iaddend.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In color television tubes, color purity relies mainly on alignment ofthe guns, the aperture mask, and the phosphor pattern developed on thescreen. Impurity results when the alignment established during thephosphor pattern development is not retained in the operating tube. Oneof the principal errors is incorrect Q space in the operating tubecaused by changes in the shape of the glass or mask or both duringprocessing. The error is most pronounced and most evident in the cornersof the picture.

In a conventional color television picture tube 10 illustrated in FIGS.1a and 1b labeled as Prior Art. A TV panel 11 has a peripherally locatedintegral skirt 12 which mates along a seal 13 with a funnel portion 14.An aperture mask 15 of conventional design is mounted in a frame 16which is in turn oriented in an xy direction (FIG. 1a) and at a selectedQ spacing (FIG. 1b) from the panel 11 by clips 17 welded to the frame16. The clips 17 have a free end each engaging a stud 18 which in turnis mounted in the panel skirt 12.

Typically the studs 18 are fabricated from metal pins, whihc are fusedin the panel skirt 12. The equipment necessary for mounting and locatingthe studs 18 is expensive and is sometimes a source for tube rejects.

Many variations of the prior art arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1a and1b exist, however the systems are characteristic, in that, they use somesort of stud arrangement which is fused to the glass for supporting theaperture mask 15 and frame 16.

The present invention minimizes errors which results from thearrangement illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b, and eliminates the need forstuds 18 and the equipment necessary to install them. Furthermore,losses associated with the stud seal arrangement and advantages of thepresent invention provide for a less costly and more efficient aperturemask mounting system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a color TV bulb formed with a panel, a peripheral panel skirtintegral therewith, a funnel portion adapted to mate with the panelskirt and an aperture mask adapted to be mounted in a frame in spacedrelation with the panel; a supporting structure for the aperture maskand frame including peripherally located outwardly extending spring lugsand spring clips attached to the frame, respectively operative for xyorientation and Q spacing of the mask. The panel skirt is formed with aselected number of V grooves, each located for receiving a correspondingone of the spring lugs, and a ledge face spaced away from an insidesurface of the panel to cooperatively engage with and support the springclips. A forward surface of the funnel engages the spring clips to urgesame against the ledge face such that the xy orientation and Q spacingof the aperture mask are fixed relative to the panel when the funnel ismated with the skirt.

DESCRIPTION OF THE .[.PREFERRED EMBODIMENT.]. .Iadd.DRAWINGS .Iaddend.

FIGS. 1a and 1b are labeled Prior Art and show respectively, afragmented rear view of a conventional color television bulb withconventional mounting of a TV aperture mask, and a side sectionalfragmented detail of the mounting system of the prior art TV bulb.

FIG. 2 is a fragmented rear elevation of a color TV bulb incorporatingthe new aperture mask mounting of the present invention.

FIG. 3a is a top view of a Q space fixture for use in mounting theaperture mask illustrated herein.

FIG. 3b is a side sectional view taken along lines 3b--3b of FIG. 3a.

FIG. 4 is an offset sectional view of the color TV bulb illustrated inFIG. 2 taken along lines 4--4 thereof, which line is offset as it passesthrough the center line of the tube to show both a portion of thediagonal axis as well as a major axis of the tube.

FIGS. 5a and 5b are respective side and top sectional fragmented viewsof a spring lug arrangement for xy orientation of the aperture mask andframe.

FIGS. 6a and 6b are respectively fragmented side and top sectional viewsof a spring clip arrangement for providing Q spacing for the aperturemask and frame.

FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment of the support structure of thepresent invention with corner orientation.

.[.FIGS. 8a and 8b show another embodiment in respective fragmented sideand top views of the present invention with circumferential Vgrooves..].

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 2 a typical color television bulb 20 is illustrated in a rearfragmented view. The color television bulb 20 sometimes referred toherein as bulb 20 includes a funnel 21 and a panel 22, which panelincludes a peripheral skirt 23. Located within the panel .[.23.]..Iadd.22 .Iaddend.is an aperture mask supporting frame or frame 24 whichsupports an aperture mask 25 of a conventional design having preciselylocated openings 26 therein. The purpose of the openings 26 in theaperture mask 25 simply referred to as the mask, is known in the art.The frame 24 has spring lugs 27 attached thereto on four sides in an xyorientation, which spring lugs 27 mat with axially aligned V grooves 28located in the skirt 23 of the panel 22. The V grooves 28 are preferablylocated along either x or y axes of the panel 22 (sometimes referred toas respective major and minor axes) but may, in alternate embodiments,be located along one of the diagonals of the tube 20, i.e., at corners38 along diagonals d1--d1 or d2--d2 or elsewhere, e.g. any of the 2diagonals or any 3 locations approximately 120° apart as in a 3 pinsystem.

Spring clips 29 preferably have one end secured at corners 39 of frame24 and each one engages a ledge portion or ledge 30 circumferentiallyformed in and located peripherally about the inside of skirt 23. Thespring clips 29 are each biased against and ledge 30 by a cooperatingspring 31 which engages a rear face 36 of the free end of the springclip 29, and urges it against the ledge 30 such that Q spacing isestablished. Spring 31 may be spot welded to the rear face 36 of thespring clip 29 if desired or held in place by other means such as may beavailable.

The spring lugs 27 and spring clips 29 locate the frame 24 and mask 25with respect to the panel face 22 which thereby orients the openings 26in the mask 25 with respect to a dot pattern 32 on the panel face 22.The dot pattern 32 is conventionally developed.

In FIG. 3a there is illustrated a Q spacer fixture 40 which includes aset of peripherally attached spring lugs 41 which are similar infunction to the spring lugs 27 illustrated in FIG. 2. As is known in theart, a Q space fixture is a temporary alignment device adapted to restinside the bulb 20 on the panel face 22 to establish a uniform Q spacebetween a forward face 25' of the mask 25 and an inside face 22' of thepanel 22. Spring lugs 41 engage with the V grooves 28 for establishingxy orientation of the Q space fixture 40 inside the bulb 20.

In cross section the Q space fixture 40 resembles a trapizoidal member,which is illustrated in FIG. 3b and also in FIG. 4. Upper supportsurface 42 carries the aperture mask 25 and lower support surface 43rests on the inside face 22' of the panel 22. Thus the thickness of Q'of the Q space fixture 40 establishes the Q space distance in FIG. 4.

As mentioned with respect to FIG. 2, the aperture mask frame 24 isoriented and supported by two means. The first means provides xyorientation and includes spring lugs 27 which may be located along therespective major and minor axes x and y of the tube 20 or the diagonalsd1--d1 and d2--d2. The second means provides support and includes springclips 29 which are welded to the frame at corners 28' and are biasedtowards the panel 22 by action of spring 31 compressively engaging therear face 29 of the spring clip 29 and a forward face 44 of the funnel21. It should be noted that as in the prior art, the funnel 21 and panelskirt 23 are fused along the seam 19.

In FIG. 4 the Q space fixture 40 is illustrated to show its function inestablishing the Q space distance. However, in a finally assembled tubethe Q space fixture is removed. In operation during the preparation ofthe dot pattern 32 on the inner surface 22' of the panel 22, the Q spacefixture 40 is first inserted into the panel 22 and each of the springlugs 41 engage with the V groove 28 about the periphery of the skirt 23.The Q space fixture 40 is thus properly oriented in the xy direction andallowed to rest on the panel 22. The aperture mask 25 is thereafterlocated at rest on the upper support face 42 of the Q space fixture 40.The aperture mask frame 24, carrying the spring lugs 27 and spring clips29 is lowered into the panel 22 and set for xy orientation with thespring lugs 27 located in the V grooves 28. The aperture mask 25 andframe 24, now being oriented properly in the xy and Q space directions,are welded together along seam 45. .Iadd.Alternatively, mask 25 andframe 24 which may be prejoined as in conventional television bulbpractice, (See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,690,518, 2,755,405, and4,065,693) could be lowered into panel 22 onto Q space fixture 40 and xyoriented as above described. Thereafter spring clips 29 may be locatedas shown engaging ledge face 44 and joined to frame 24 as shown bywelding or the like. .Iaddend..[.Spring.]. .Iadd.Therafter in eitherarrangement spring .Iaddend.31 is urged against the spring clips 29 by aclamping device, not illustrated, but which serves the same function asthe forward ledge face 44 of the funnel portion 21. During thedevelopment of the dot pattern 32, the mask 25 and frame 24 are removedsuccessively for each color as is known in the art, and means may beprovided to clamp or grasp the panel 22 and also urge the spring 31 inthe direction of the ledge member 30 upon which the spring clip 29rests.

The forward ledge face 44 of funnel 21 is formed, such that, it urgeseach spring 31 axially towards the spring clips 29. Consequently in apreferred embodiment the forward ledge face 44 oriented so as to lie inparallel relative to seam 19 and ledge 30, or perhaps converging towardsseam 19 at an acute angle Φ from about 0° to about 5° therebetween. Thisorientation urges spring 31 towards a confined space bounded by forwardledge face 44, inner surface 35 of skirt 23 and ledge 30 so that thespring member 31 tends to remain stabily in place. Spring 31 is shown asa coil spring but may be any suitable configuration.

In FIG. 5a a fragmented side sectional elevation of a portion of thetube 20 including; the frame 24 and spring lugs 27, mask 25, and skirt23 with V groove 28 is illustrated. The double arrow 46 illustrates thedegree of freedom of the particular portion of the frame 24 with respectto the particular portion of the skirt 23 at the V groove 28 location.In FIG. 2 for example the directional arrow 46 would be oriented alongeither of the x or y axes.

FIG. 5b shows a fragmented top view of the spring lug 27 and panel 23with the spring lug 27 engaging V groove 28. The spring lug 27 is freeto be removed upwardly from the V groove 28 for various sequential stepsin the formation of the dot pattern 32 and mask 25 orientation.

In FIG. 6a the fragmented side sectional view of the tube 20 isillustrated with the Q space fixture 40 removed to show the finalassembly of the mask 25 as it is supported in the Q space direction bythe frame 24 and the spring clip 29. Note in this drawing that thespring 31 urges the spring clip 29 against ledge member 30. The frame 24attached to clip 29 at corner 39' is thus secured at a fixed positionwith respect to the panel 22. Likewise the aperture mask 25 welded tothe frame 24 at seam 45 is held at the correct Q space distance from theinside surface 22' of the panel 22.

FIG. 6b illustrates in a top view the profile of the corner 38 of thepanel 22 in the vicinity of ledge 30.

The arrangements illustrated in the drawings herein have been explainedseparately, so as to simplify the explanation of the invention andreduce the complexity of the drawings. Note however FIG. 7 wherein the Vgroove 28 is located below ledge member 30 in the corner 38 of panel 22.Spring lugs 28 and spring clips 29 are likewise located at corners 31 ina tandem arrangement (one above the other) to support the frame 24 andaperture mask. This arrangement is probably the most accurate anddesirable.

.[.In FIGS. 8a and 8b, respective fragmented side sectional and topviews illustrate a variation of the invention, with V groove 28'oriented circumferentially about skirt 23. Since a second formingoperation would probably be required to form such circumferential Vgrooves 28' the embodiments descibed above illustrating axial grooveswould be preferred. Note all other reference numerals are the same forsimilar components of the other previously described embodiments..].

While there has been described what at present is considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade therein without departing from the invention. It is intended in theappended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a color television bulb formed with a panel, aperipheral panel skirt integral therewith, a funnel portion adapted tomate with the panel skirt, a frame and aperture mask adapted to bemounted in said frame and secured in spaced relation with the panel; asupporting structure for the aperture mask and frame including:peripherally located outwardly extending spring lugs and peripherallylocated outwardly extending spring clips secured to the frame andrespectively operative for xy orientation and a Q spacing of the maskand frame; the panel skirt being formed with a selected number of Vgrooves each located so as to receive a corresponding one of the springlugs; and a ledge face spaced away from an inside surface of the panelto cooperatively engage with and support the spring clips, a forwardportion of the funnel adapted to be in spaced relation with the ledgeface, spring means engaging each respective spring clip at one end andthe forward portion of the funnel at the other when located in saidspaced relation for urging each respective spring clip against the ledgeface such that xy orientation and Q spacing of the aperture mask andframe are fixed relative to the panel when the funnel and panel skirtare mated.
 2. The supporting structure of claim 1 wherein the springclips and spring lugs are located at about 120° intervals about theperiphery of the frame.
 3. The supporting structure of claim 1 whereinthe spring lugs are located along x and y axes of the frame and thespring clips are located along diagonal axes of the frame.
 4. Thesupporting structure of claim 3 wherein the spring clips and the springlugs are located in tandem at corners of the bulb along diagonal axesthereof.
 5. The supporting structure of claim 1 wherein the spring clipsinclude; a first clip member being attached at one end to the frame andhaving a free end adapted to rest on the ledge; and a spring memberhaving a forward free end engaging a portion of the free end of the clipand being oriented so as to urge the first clip member in a directiontowards the panel, said spring member having a rearward free end beingurged against the clip by mating engagement with the forward portion ofthe funnel.
 6. The supporting structure of claim 5 wherein the forwardportion of the funnel engages the rearward free end of the spring memberand includes; a ledge member lying at an acute angle between about 0°and about 5° with respect to the panel ledge member.
 7. The supportingstructure of claim 1 wherein the V grooves are axially aligned with thepanel skirt. .[.8. The supporting structure of claim 1 wherein the Vgrooves are circumferentially aligned with the panel skirt..].
 9. Acolor television bulb comprising a formed studless panel, including aperipheral panel skirt integral therewith; a funnel portion adapted tomate with the panel skirt, a frame and aperture mask adapted to bemounted in said frame and secured in spaced relation with the panel; asupporting structure for the aperture mask and frame including:peripherally located outwardly extending spring lugs and peripherallylocated outwardly extending spring clips secured to the frame andrespectively operative for xy orientation and a Q spacing of the maskand frame; the panel skirt being formed with a selected number of Vgrooves each located so as to receive a corresponding one of the springlugs; and a ledge face spaced away from an inside surface of the panelto cooperatively engage with and support the spring clips, a forwardportion of the funnel adapted to be in spaced relation with the ledgeface; spring means engaging each respective spring clip at a one end andthe forward portion of the funnel at the other when located in saidspaced relation for urging each respective spring clip against the ledgeface such that xy orientation and Q spacing of the aperture mask andframe are fixed relative to the panel when the funnel and panel skirtare mated.